Vehicle-top



2 Sheets-Sheet -1.

(No Model.)

G. GIFFORD.

VEHICLE.4 TOP.

No. 352,816. Patented Nov. 16, v1886.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-#sheet 2. 'G. GFPORD.-

VEHICLE TOP.

Patented Nov. 18, 1888` u. Pains nmwnnwgnpmr. wnsnzngam D, a

UNITED STATES PATENT OE-FICE.

GEORGE GIFFORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO' SIMON YP.WOLVERTON, OF SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,816, dated November16, 1886.

Serial No. 210,690. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE GrEFoRD, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of' Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinVehicle- Tops; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of Y the invention, which will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification, and in whichv Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a buggytop provided with my improved curtains, showing a part brokenaway and one of the side curtains partly raised. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view of the same, taken through the middle bow. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal seetional view. Fig. tis a horizontal sectional View, andFig. 5 is a detail view, of the upper portion of the rear bow.

This invention relates to vehicle-tops, whereby the curtains of the samecan be easily and quickly operated from the inside of the vehicle, andlthey are drawn up between the cover and lining out of sight; and itconsists in the improved construction and combination of parts, as willbe hereinafter more fully set forth.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings,in which the same letters ot'reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, A, B, and()represent the bows of the top, secured to the seat D in the ordinarymanner,

vand provided with a cover, E. Ordinarybraces are secured to these bowsat the side, anda pair of quarter-pieces, F, are secured at the back, inthe usual manner. A groove or channel, G, is formed in the inner edge ofeach of the quarter-pieces by joining the lining and pieces at a'distance from the edge and leaving their outer edges unjoined. The backcurtain, H, is secured within these grooves,instead of upon theoutside,as is commonly done, and is drawn up between the lining andcover of the top by means of three coiled springs secured upon the innerside of the front bow-one at each corner and one at the middle of theupper portion. Each of these springs is secured to and operatesaeatches, as described above.

Upon the .under side of the rear bow, C, a

bar, K, is secured, which leaves a slot, L, be-

tween it and the bow of the same width as the back curtain,andthroughwhich it-is drawn as it is being raised. Upon the under side of themiddle bow, B, is a similar bar or roller, M, which supports the cordsand curtains and keeps them from bearing down upouthe lining. These barsK and M are vmade of some hard polished material,which will permit thecurtain to slide over them with as little friction as possible,and therear one is placed far enough from the top of the bow and at such anangle as to permit the glass window in the curtain to pass up through it'without breaking.

Io prevent the curtain from being drawn through the slot L, as the upperend of it is above itV between the cover and lining, a crosspieee atrifle longer than the curtain is wide is secured in each end, the lowerone of which,

N, is provided with holes or slots O, by means of which it is fastenedto the half-mooncatches P on the shifting rail Q, holes `being cutthrough the back curtain at those points where it is around thecross-piece. By turning the catches P so that they will pass through theslots O, the curtain is released from the shifting rail, when thesprings on the front bow, A, will draw the curtain up into the top untilthe ends of the cross-bar N engage with the ends of the slot L, whichprevents its going farther, and at the same time causes the curtain tobe'stretched taut, so that all wrinkles are kept out of it, and itremains spread out where it will take up but, little room.

It is evident that the curtains of horse and steam cars, omnibusSeS, andcarriages can be operated in the same way, and thus be drawn up into thetop by means of coiled springs and cords, and that they can be easilydrawn down and secured by means of hooks or half-moon To operate theside curtains, w x, of a buggy or carriage in the manner described forthe rear curtains, the middle bow, B, isslotted from nearly one end tothe other, and the cur tains made to slide up and down in this slot, thecurtains at that point being made thinner IOO than at other places. Aguide-strip, R, is placed at each side of the bow at this point, for thepurpose of making the curtains always draw up and down in their properplaces. The rear edge of each of the side curtains is formed into a curlor hook, S, which engages with a similar curl on the front edge oi' eachof the quarter-pieces F, and the lower edge is provided with a slottedbar similar to the one in the rear curtain. The shifting rail, which iscontinued around the sides of the seat, is provided with similarhalfmoon catches to those upon the rear portion of it.

The inner side ofthe rear bow at its upper portion is provided with twosmall troughs or gutters, T, and the middle bow with an inclinedpartition, U. At opposite ends of the two troughs T and at each end ofthe partition U is a coiled spring and spool, V, similar to the ones ofthe front bow, and a cord on the spools at one side connects with thecurtain upon the opposite side, the cords at the rear bow runningthrough the troughs T. To sup-` port the frontportions ofthe sidecurtains and keep them from bearing down upon the lining and interferingwith the cords of the rear curtain, a cloth or other pliable support, W,is stretched from side to side and from the front to the middle bows.These side curtains can be secured to the sides of the front bows in theusual manner, and each of them has a slot in its lower edgecorresponding in length with the portion of the middle bow which is notslotted, the slots permitting the curtains to be drawn down to theshiftingirail and secured. By the use of my improvement the curtains arequickly put out of sight, thus avoiding the unsightly rolls as commonlyused, or the necessity of removing and replacing part of them, which isoften very troublesome, as when a storm comes up suddenly, and it alsoavoids the necessity of getting out of the vehicle, as there `is enoughelasticity in the springs to permit of the curtains being drawn downfarther than is necessary to permit the hand of the operator to be putout underneath them, and

then. to draw the curtain taut as soon as the quarter-pieces, the inneredges of which are v provided with a groove or channel, the rear handhas been withdrawn.

Having thus described my invention, I claim--V 1. In a vehicle-top, thecombination of the curtains upon one side ofthe top, coiled springs uponthe other side, and cords connecting said curtains with the springs. I

2. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the curtain.

4. In a vehicle-top, the combination of abar secured to the rear bow, acurtain between said bar and said bow, a bar secured to each end of saidcurtain, said bars in said curtain being longer than the curtain iswide, a series of springs secured to the front bow, and a cordconnecting each of said springs with the top of said curtain,

5. In a vehicle-top, the combination of a spring-actuated curtain, a barin its lower edge having slots through it, the shifting rail, and aseries of half-moon catches.

6. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the bows, one of which isslotted, a curtain in each end of said slotted bow, a spring upon therear and slot-ted bows at each side of the top, and a cord connectingeach spring on one side of the top with the curtain upon the oppositeside of the Vehicle.

7. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the bows, one of which isslotted, a curtain in each end of said slotted bow, a partition in thetop or middle of said slotted bow, two troughs Secured to the rear bow,a spring upon the rear and slotted bow at each'side of the buggy, and

a cord connecting the springs on one side ot' the top withV the curtainupon the opposite side.

8. In a vehicle-top, the combination of the quarterpieces, the frontedge of each of which is formed with a curl, and spring-actuated sidecurtains, the rear edge of each of which is formed with a curl or hook.

9. In a vehicle-top, the combination of a slotted bow, a curtain in eachend of said bow, and guide-strips secured to the curtains at the sidesof said bow.

10. In a vehicle-top, the combination of spring-actuated side curtainsand apiece of cloth in the front portion of the top. l

. In testimony that'I claim the foregoing AVas my own I'have hereuntoaffixed my signature 'in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE GIFFORD.

A Witnesses:

HAROLD M. MoCLURE, GEORGE H. NEFF.

IOO

. IOS

IIO

